Even though the year 2000 is still months away, people are already
experiencing Y2K glitches, says an information service called Y2K
Newswire, which is posting unhappy Y2K-related experiences on the
Internet.
For example, according to the service’s web site, bank customers
are being told they have insufficient funds when that is not the
case, and people are receiving vehicle registration and other
official deadline notices when they are not due.
Newswire added the public bulletin board to its web site in
mid-July, said site creator Mike Adams, because the media has not
adequately reported on inconveniences caused when computer chips
don’t recognize the year 2000.
‘The public is not being told the truth about Y2K,’ Adams wrote
in an editorial describing the bulletin board project. ‘Problems
are minimized or covered up and ‘progress’ is overstated, redefined
and described in preapproved terms.’
One reason is that Y2K-related incidents are embarrassing for
organizations, Adams said, especially for those that have spent
millions of dollars on fixes. Contributors to the bulletin board do
not have to prove the glitch was caused by a computer chip date
error, according to the web site. ‘As citizens, we must be aware of
all the failures, then work to sort out which ones were
Y2K-related,’ it says.
Adams said the Y2K bug is already manifesting itself because
there are many dates before and after Jan. 1 that can cause
problems for old software and hardware. Also, he suspects data has
been lost or corrupted during the process of upgrading systems to
reach Y2K compliance.
Contributors are asked to submit a phone number for the
organization involved in the glitch so Y2K Newswire staff can
attempt to verify claims. The staff reads and edits submissions
before posting them and discards those that are obviously not
Y2K-related, said Adams. They will also remove an entry if the
organization named in the report calls them with proof that the
information is false.
Reports can be filed about electricity interruptions, bank
computer failures and any other inconveniences that might have been
caused by a noncompliant computer chip, but they must be based on
personal experiences, not hearsay.
Adams believes the bulletin board will reflect the true extent
of Y2K. ‘If our Citizens’ Report isn’t absolutely flooded on Jan. 1
and Jan. 2, then this is really strong evidence that Y2K is no big
deal,’ he said.
As of Aug. 24, there were 290 reports posted on the Citizens’
Report web site
www.y2knewswire.com/CitizensReportShow.htm.
Contacts: Mike Adams, creator, Y2K Newswire,
307-587-7449; web site:
www.y2knewswire.com.
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